Apparatus for uncoiling coiled sheet metal



Nov. 12, 1935. w. H. HOFER 2,020,889

APPARATUS FOR UNCOILING COILED SHEET METAL I IbiVENTOR NM w I ATTORNEY 2, Sheets-Sheet l 8 Nov. 12, 1935.. w. H. HOFER APPARATUS FOR UNCOILING COILED SHEET METAL Filed Dec, 10, 19:52

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 12, 1935- UNITED STATES APPARATUS FOR UNCOILING COILED SHEET METAL William H. Hofer, MiddletownfOhio, assignor to The American Rolling Mill Company, Middletown, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application December 10, 1932, Serial No. 646,660 R S S U E D 9 Claims. I (01. 242-78) The general method heretofore practiced for uncoiling coils of sheet metal has comprised the placing-of the coil in a cradle of idler rollers, engaging the end of the metal and pulling the metal away from the coil substantially in a tangential manner, the coil being rotated in its cradle by the pull of-the metal as it is being withdrawn. Such apparatus and method has been productive of the difliculty known as coiler breaks. 10 Coil breaks are changes in the, physical characteristics of the metal produced by a sharp bend therein. While the bend itself may be removed by subsequent roller leveling, the physical condition brought about by this excessive working of the metal persists in the piece through subsequent operations, such as cold rolling and the like, and has, in the past, been amajor source of rejections. f

' It is" an object of my invention to provide a decoiling apparatus which will not be productive of coiler breaks, and in which the metal may be decoiled smoothly and evenly. In the prior art practices which I have described, coiler breaks occur'either through the tendency of the heavy metal in the coil to resist the decoiling operation wherebythe metal is sharply bent at or near the coil from a tangential position, or theyoccur because at times the coil tends to turn more rapidly than the metal is withdrawn therefrom, which causes a sharp bending of the metal at the pinch rolls or intermediate the pinch rolls and the coil. In the practiceof my invention, I provide means whereby the turning 'of the coil is regulated and controlled so that the metal may be withdrawn tangentially therefrom in an even manner. 1

Hitherto also, due to the irregularity of the metal in the coil, it has been found necessary to make the standards which form the support for the withdrawing rolls and-the roller leveler very I widely interspaced, so that the metal can follow an irregular course between the housings without contacting them. As aconsequence, very much heavier rolls have had tobe used than would otherwise be necessary in order to compensate for the spring of the rolls.

It is' an object of my invention to do away with these disadvantages and to provide a mechanism in which the coil maybe unwound evenly and in such a way that the housings need not be so greatlyinterspaced. In the practice of my invention I have found that if a coil is trued and then guided in such a way that the metal enters the rolls essentially in a direction perpendicular to their axes, the weaving of the metal in the rolls can be greatly minimized and the housings can be much more closely interspaced, with a consequent saving in equipment.

These and other objects of my invention which will be set forth hereinafter, or will beapparent 5 to one skilled in the art upon reading these spec-. ifications, I accomplish by that certain construction and arrangement of parts of which I shall now. describe an exemplary embodiment. Referonce is made to the drawings, wherein' 10 Figure 1 is an elevational view of the entering side of my decoiling apparatus.

Figure 2 is a partial plan view of the apparatus taken along the lines 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view through 15 my device.

Figure 4 is a partially diagrammatic end elevation.

Briefly, in the practice of my invention I provide a,cradle for the metal coil, and I drive thisjzo cradle in such a way as to control the movements of the coil. As I have, hereinabove explained, the coil which is left free to rotate out of timed relationship with the withdrawal of the metal, 'will tend to produce coiler breaks by producing sharp 25 bends in the metal. In withdrawing the metal substantially tangentially from the coil, if the rotation of the coil is controlled and is caused to bear a timed relationship to the withdrawal of the metal, loops of the metal will not be 30 formed and the decoiling operat on' proceeds smoothly and without coiler br ks. Consequently, one important feature of my invention is the provision of a driven cradle. Another important feature of myv inventionis the provision 35 of side guiding members located adjacent the cradle, which serve to guide the coil as the metal 'throughthese bearings, and are indicated at 1 and 8. They bear keyed sprocket wheels 9 and In, which may be connected by a chain ll so 50 that the concurrent rotation of the rolls 3' and 4 is maintained. One of the shafts bears driving means whereby motion may be transmitted to the rolls in timed relationship with the motion of the other apparatus. To this end I have shown 5 a sprocket wheel I2 keyed on the shaft; 8 and connected by a chain I3 to a sprocket I4 on one of the pinch rolls, as will hereinafter be described. The turning of the pinch rolls, which is the agency for withdrawing the metal, will therefore obviously be in timed relationship to the rotation of the rolls 3 and 4 which form the bottom part of my cradle.

Adjacent the rolls, a screw I6, having right and left hand threads, is rotatively mounted upon the framework I below the level of the rolls. Another framework I8 mounted on the roller housings and lying essentially above the cradle, carries a second screw I! with right and left hand threads. Two sporcket wheels I9 and 20 are keyed on the projecting ends of these screws and are connected by a chain 34. The screw II bears a handwheel 2|, whereby both of the screws may be concurrently rotated. I

Two coil guides 22 and 23, essentially vertically disposed, ride on the two screws I6 and I1. They are provided with shoes 24, 24, 25, and 25", which engage the threads of the screws. A rotation of the handwheel 2| in either direction will serve to bring the guide members 22 and 23 closer together or separate them.

On the main housings r mount pinch rolls is g and I5", as shown. In front of the lower pinch roll there is ,a stripper guide .29 which serves to lead the metal into the pinch between the rolls. Below the pinch rolls are rolls 26 and 21, freely journaled for rotation. These rolls are back-up rolls, against which the coil turns as the metal is withdrawn therefrom. Behind the pinch rolls I have shown sets of leveling rolls, indicated at 32, journaled in the housing, the upper set, as is the usual practice, being mounted in a sliding bearing.

Figure 3 shows a coil of metal 3| at thestart of the decoiling operation. Ordinarily such a coil will be delivered to my device by means of a roller conveyor or the like, not shown, but extending to the right of the rolls 3 and] in Figure 3. In operation the guides 22 and 23 are drawn apart by a rotation of the handwheel 2|, and a coil 3| is delivered by the conveyor, or otherwise, until it' rests upon the rolls 3 and 4. By a rotation of the handwheel 2|, the guides 22 and 23 are brought together so that they will true up the coil, squeeze together any telescoping portions thereof, and center the coil with respect to the decoiling device. Since these guides are operated by screws, they are capable of exerting considerable force upon the coil. When the coil has been trued and positioned, the pressure of the guides thereagainst' is released somewhat, but the guides are left in such a position that the coil cannot run out of center.

The coil 3| is then rotated so that the project ing end of the metal can be caught between the pinch rolls I5 and I5. This may be done by hand, but ordinarily proper feeding will be accomplishedfin the operation of the machine. If the end of the coil hugs the coil, it will usually be bent up slightly before the coil is placed into position. Under these circumstances, the leading end of the coil will be guided by the stripper guide 29 into the pinch between the rolls I5 and I5. The machine may then be started. As the pinch rolls revolve, the metal is withdrawn from the coil; but since the cradle rolls 3 and 4 are posifrom the coil 3! in a smooth and even manner,

and without the production of coil breaks. As the g the pinch rolls.

coil 3I revolves, the side guides 22 and 23 maintain it in a true position, so that the metal enters the rolls along a line substantially perpendicular to their axes. V

It will be understood that modifications may 5 be made in my invention without departing from the spirit thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a sheet. metal decoiling device, a cradle, oppositely mo able guiding means located so as to engage the ends of the coil mounted on said cradle, and means for bringing said guiding means toward each other under pressure, whereby to correct a telescope in said coil.

2. In a sheet metal decoiling device, housings, pinch rolls mounted in said housings, a cradle disposed below said pinch rolls, upright members spaced transversely of said cradle to serve as centering guides, and means for concurrentlyv moving said'upright members under pressure so said framework, screw means mounted essentially above and below said cradle rolls, and trans- 85 versely disposed guiding means mounted on said screw means, said screw means adapted concurrently to alter the positions of said uiding means, and a driving connection between said pinch rolls and said cradle rolls.

5. In a decoiling device," oppositely disposed housings, pinch rolls mounted on said housings, leveling rolls mounted on said housings in a position to receive metal from said pinch rolls, a cradle having supporting rolls mounted beneath 45 said pinch rolls, a driving connection between said supporting rolls and said pinch rolls, guiding means spaced transversely of said cradle so as to engage the side edges of a coil therein and with the side edges of thepart of the sheet pass- 50 ingfrom the coil, and means for concurrently moving said'guiding means toward or away from each other.

'6. In a sheet metal decoiling device, a cradle comprising spaced rolls for supporting the coil of sheet metal, pinchrolls above the cradle to withdraw the sheet metal tangentially from the coil supported on the cradle rolls, and guides spaced transversely of the cradle and extending from near the opposite ends of the space between 60 'the cradle rolls to the space horizontally opposite the pinch rolls, to preserve the alinement of the convolutions of the coil and of the tangentially withdrawn portion of the metal from the coil to 6 0 7. In a sheet-metal coiling device as set forth in claim 6, and operative connection from the pinch rolls to the cradle rolls whereby the outer convolution of the coil is driven, and the coil rotated therewith, with the surface travel of said outer convolution equal to the surface travel of the tangentially withdrawn portion of the sheet metal between the pinch-rolls.

8. In a sheet metal decoiling device, a cradle for a coil, pinch rolls located above said cradle and closely adjacent to a coil which may be mounted thereon, at least a portion of said cradle having a driving relationship with said coil, a driving connection between said pinch rolls and said cradle portion, said pinch rolls adapted to withdraw metal tangentially from the upper portion of said coil, and abutment means for said coil located adjacent said pinch rolls and beneath said metal as it'is being withdrawn from said coil.

9. A process of decoiling heavythot rolled sheet or plate stock which is subject to coiler breaks, 1

which process comprises withdrawing the metal from a coil in a substantially tangential direction by engaging the metal close to the coil and rotating said coil in timed relationship with said withdrawal, and maintaining the position of said coil with respect to said position of engagement during said withdrawal, so as to prevent sharp bending of the metal, which would produce coiler breaks.

WILLIAM H. HOFER. 

